in this past election, facing a fiscal cliff of its own, the prospect of trigger cuts, if they didn't adopt proposition 30 if they raise taxes. they decided to go for the tax increases and that's because they saw what that austerity could mean. you really have to do both. we talk about the investments and the costs. >> please. >> i was going to say, the federal level, one of the things we saw in 2000, i know you want to keep taxes and spending separate, but i think we shouldn't. what we have seen is a great pitch to reduce taxes. again, i'm in favor of it. the route to great economic growth. that being said, it is not true, even with the best tax cuts when you spend like a drunken sailor, which happened under the republicans. if you cut taxes and increase spending, that's the equivalent of raising taxes in the future. i think it's key to keep those together. >> bruce, do you think there's a case to be made to fellow conservatives about raising taxes here? >> yes. first of all, the -- one of the problems with the norquist if you raise the taxes, there's -- she's incorrect. she's assumi